Herald-Mail.com is running a nice article about the upcoming Jeep Patriot and how Chrysler Group is aiming the marketing sqaurely at former Cherokee owners.

Do you remember the Cherokee?

Jeep certainly hopes you do, and in a fond way. It's a big reason why this DaimlerChrysler division has added the Patriot to its ever-expanding range of sport-utility vehicles.

It's similar-looking to the Cherokee, intentionally so, but cuts a wider swath, from easy-going boulevard cruiser to rugged, range-rumbling off-roader. It joins the entry-level Compass and completely madeover Wrangler as Jeep's new-for-2007 entries. The Patriot/Compass duo is heavily based on the Dodge Caliber wagon and shares many of the same mechanical components.

For the Patriot, however, it's all about emulating the Cherokee, a squarish model that was created four years before Jeep was acquired from the American Motors in 1987. The Cherokee left in 2001, but legions of devoted fans still long for the old warhorse and its straightforward and boxy styling as well as its on- and off-trail capabilities.

I think this shows the patriot crd has more torque at a lower RPM.Looking at the compass 2.4L. Normal tow with cvt is 1000lbs and manual trans with tow package 2000lbs. Looking at the jeep sight.Haven't seen the tow capabilities for the patriot or diesel compass yet.

The XJ has been gone for 5 or 6 years now. It's not coming back. It's not being reincarnated. DCX screwed up royally by axing the XJ when they did and they know it. That's why they keep bringing the car back up. You don't see Ford calling every new vehicle they make a Galaxie reincarnate. Dropping the XJ led everyone to compare the KJ to the XJ and that's just not fair to either vehicle.

When I bought my XJ, the dealer was trying to talk us into a KJ by claiming it was an upgraded version of the XJ. That was my first brush with a KJ and I was less than impressed for what I needed. Sure the backseats were bigger in the KJ but nobody uses out back seats but the kids. And I don't care what DCX claims about cargo space in each, I can fit a stroller and camping gear much better in the back of an XJ. We took a full regiment of our usual camping supplies with us to the dealership to make sure we wouldn't be cramming for space on trips. We spent more time loading and unloading the prospective vehicles than we did on test drives.

Our family got a little bigger so we ended up trading the XJ in for an XK this year, which was also touted as an XJ reincarnation. I love the XK but it's no XJ. When I'm in the market for a new smaller vehicle to replace my Hyundai daily driver, the Patriot looks like an option but I'll have no preconceived notions of XJ goodness being involved. Somehow I doubt the Patriot will be able to tow 5000lbs or have gobs of low end torque. DCX has this mistaken notion that the XJ was popular because of styling when in reality it was popular because of utility and reliability (and it was fun to drive). The styling was just a plus.

OK, time 4 me 2 weigh in, on those saying the 4dr Wrangler JKL is "closer" to an XJ reincarnation...

This weekend, I took a test drive in a new '07 4dr Wrangler. I drove my XJ with a 5spd manual/4.0L to the dealership, gawked & scrutinized the JKL for 1/2hr, test drove the JKL (it was an automatic ) for 15 minutes, then got back in my XJ. So, it was an immediate side-by-side comparison...

First the good: it's a vastly improved Jeep Wrangler in almost every way, if you're not strictly "old school" and U don't mind plastic. The hardtop is trick, the interior & dash are much better (though I still prefer a CJ's metal dash ), the wheel wells are huge (wonder what MAX rubber we could fit there, 33"+ !?) and the space & size & style all around are definite improvements. The stereo & Infinity speakers are XLNT!

AND it costs less for a lot more JEEP.

Now the bad: though I think the JKL looks cooler than an XJ (retro & Rescue-ish!), an "XJ reincarnated" it isn't! My gripe (confrimed, now) remains the powertrain. The engine bay is shorter --noticeably. The 3.8L-V6 was smooth, quiet (who cares about quiet?) and not buzzy at all, but I'd describe it as "barely adequate" not inspiring, and surely not "enough" low end. Maybe the manual is better, but I doubt much better.

My ride home in the 4.0-I6 XJ felt like a dash in a Lambo LM02 by comparison.

All in all, thumbs up. Aftermarket get ready to sell us stuff to squeeze every friggin' HP & ft-lbs out of that grocery-getter V6! We could use a cheap supercharger, but that probably ain't happenin'...

I think jeep is trying to get away from using names of Indian Tribes in the United States. When and if the grand is ended will be the last of the name cherokee used by DCX imo. My wife is part cherokee indian and she has never thought twice about the name associated with jeep, heck she even drove a grand for 3 years, now a wrangler girl. However, running in the native american circles some of the elders do not like the name associated with anything other than their group. This may be the reason i dunno but if not why would DCX not have called the Liberty the cherokee or where they trying for a more patriotic them..thus the patriot, lol....

The reason for not calling the Liberty the "Cherokee" is actually kind of interesting. In 1999 & 2000 as they were readying the KJ (Liberty) for release to the public, the plan was to continue producing and selling the XJ (Cherokee). The KJ was intended to be a softer mid-sized Jeep, with the XJ still available for true off-road prowess in a larger size than the TJ. DCS knew the XJ was loved and would continue to sell. They intended to have both XJ's and KJ'x on the sales lots in 2002. Then... September 11, 2001. Economy crash. It was determined at that point that it wouldn't be financially prudent to continue to produce two vehicles so very similar in market-appeal when sources predicted that new vehicle sales would slow dramatically for a few years. So... the XJ was killed. By then, it was too late to dub the KJ as "Cherokee" in North America. People knew it was coming and that it was going to be called "Liberty." Because of all this, I really wouldn't be surprised if the KK Liberty is actually branded "Cherokee."

I'm writing all this based on what read a year or more ago. Some of it might be a bit off, but it's basically what I read about why the KJ isn't called "Cherokee" in North America.

Going into the new millenium the plan all along was to continue to sell the XJ alongside the KJ, at least through November of 2000 with future production decisions being made as sales warranted. At the time the KJ was behind schedule and the XJ had a problem with the old factory that it was being built in. Remember that in 1998 and 1999 the XJ Cherokee was still selling over 100,000 units per year, quite a profitable product for DCX, so there was a natural reluctance to kill off a cash cow. The decision was finally made in January of 2001, that the XJ would be killed off as soon as the KJ came on line and marketing would focus on getting XJ buyers to think about the KJ instead. DCX needed to recoup the investment it made in the KJ and that was the only way to do it. In June/July of 2001 the last XJ Cherokee rolled off the line, quite a bit sooner than September 11. Since then DCX marketers are kicking themselves because the KJ in its best year never sold as many units as a typical XJ year - as a result we get things like the Commander looking suspiciously like a scaled up late-model XJ.

Thanks for clarifying, I was hoping somebody would. Before posting, I searched high & low over the web for the artical that I read that tied it to the triggers that I mentioned, but I couldn't find it. So I posted what I could remember. Hey, at least I qualified it as such!

Update--I guess jpsmith & I posted the same responses at the same time!

FYI - originally, the KJ Liberty was slated to be ADDED to the Jeep line-up, with the XJ Cherokee (at least for a few years). It was only when DCX started tightening their belt that they slashed the XJ.

Since then, the "story" has morphed into the KJ Liberty as a "replacement" for the XJ Cherokee, but that was not the original plan... I'm sure the name change overseas was to make that look like a transition, but they knew they couldn't fool the XJ-Faithful in the U.S.!

Has anybody read the article quoted? The writer doesn't know what he's talking about... Unless... He knows something we don't:

In the article he writes that the optional Freedom Drive II features a low-range 19:1 crawl axle ratio.

Not even the Rubicon gets this! Could the Patriot be the sleeper all out King of the Hill Off Road Vehicle we've all been waiting for? Can it knock the Rubicon off it's high pedestal and regain the rightful throne as the only worthy sucessor to the legendary Jeep Cherokee XJ?

For reference, the Rubicon has a 73.1:1 crawl ratio with the current 6-sp manual, or a 46.6:1 crawl ratio with the current 4-sp auto.

A stock XJ with the 4.0L/AW4 combo had a 27:1 crawl ratio.

The writer of the aritlce doesn't know anything about 4wd vehicles. And for that matter, DCX apparently doesn't know much about XJ owners. The new '07 Unlimited is the closest thing to an XJ replacement we're going to get. The only thing that would make the new Unlimiteds better was if they had a 4.0L/AW4 drivetrain.

Jeep has no vehicle in production or on the drawing board as far as I know that is a reincarnation of the Cherokee. Where is there a unibody wagon with solid axles, RWD, and the ability to embarrass much more expensive and pretentious vehicles (you know who you are hummer and rover) on the trail? I'll probably buy a new Unlimited and I'm sure I'll like it, but its not the Cherokee reincarnated, it's the Dakar finally incarnated. The Liberty is the closest thing to the cherokee, and I'm not going to bash it, but I'd never buy one. Judging by the styling of the Commander, the Patriot and the next gen Liberty, it is clear that Jeep wants us loyal XJ drivers back, but its equally clear that the Cherokee won't be back.

LOL was thinking on the same lines as Josephus... Wasn't the Grand Cherokee supposed to be the 'new' Cherokee... then the Liberty was... Now they are trying to say the Patriot will be... hmmm... makes you think they never should have gotten rid of the Cherokee in the first place.

Oh, and how many times is Sylvanis gonna throw up a little in his mouth ?

It's ironic that in the US, Jeep is trying to market the Patriot as the re-incarnated Cherokee. Because overseas the liberty is called the Cherokee.So any international customers will be thoroughly confused by Jeep's Patriot's identity crisis.

Patriot-it looks like a Cherokee, but it's not - the Liberty is the Cherokee unless your from the country that makes Jeeps. huh?

I find this rather insulting towards my xj….Calling the front drive, soft-roader patriot a xj reincarnate.What is wrong with the Jeep’s marketing department?Why do they need 3 different soft roaders sharing the same platform…Couldn’t dcx make enough money just selling the dodge caliper?Why does the DCX insist on softening the jeep brand with these soft-roaders??If jeep really wants to use its off-road credentials to sell more of these cars, why don’t they just build it as a dodge and then let jeep mod and tune it (kind of like the amg does to Mercedes benz cars)….

The "Patriot" may look like the old "XJ Cherokee" but that is where any similarities end... There is no way that DCX will convince anybody who has seen what the XJ is capable of off-road into thinking the Patriot is a reincarnation of the XJ. The XJ with 4.0 engine and low range Command-trac will drag a Patriot around like a "puppy on a leash". Go to your local dealer and put the tow strap between the rear bumpers after taking bets on the XJ!!

They may be able to fool a few non XJ owners, but they will fool no XJ owners. Granted the Patriot looks a lot more like a Jeep than the Compass but, thats about it. Don't these things have front and rear independent suspensions?

I think you hit it right on the head. The Patriot is most definitely NOT the Cherokee reincarnated. My wife has an XJ (me a LJ) and when I think of them comparing her XJ to the new Patriot, I throw up a little in my mouth.

Sure, it may look like a XJ because it is a little boxy, but lets be honest. I would say that it has less utility than an XJ.

If I had to replace my wife's XJ with a new modle Jeep, it would be replaced with the new Wrangler Unlimited. I just don't see the Patriot replacing it.

Don't get me wrong. I'm sure that the Patriot has it's target audience. An entry level person looking for a wagon type vehicle, comprable to the subaru forester. Something with awd to give them the security on winter or slippery roads.

I drove the Compass on the 'compass x' course @ Camp Jeep. The ESP really kicked in when I gave it some in the slalom on the gravel, but I wouldn't take that thing off road nor would I take it's sister vehicle- the Patriot.

And that's what the Patriot is. A little sister Jeep that really needs to play on the pavement or gravel roads. On that I'm sure it will excel. Like taking a family to a campground to pitch your tent 15 feet off the road.

I view the KJ/KK as having more utility. It can tow 5,000, has RWD, and more off-road ready than I think the Patriot is. Despite the IFS, I view the KK as being much more comparable to the Cherokee, but the closest thing to the Cherokee will most certainly be the Wrangler Unlimited.

I certainly agree that the Patriot will serve a purpose and is a much better concept for an entry level jeep than the compass appears to be. With Patriot I expect better mpg, but the trade off will be less utility.

Right, that's just it. The Patriot is an entry-level vehicle. It will be less expensive and much less capable than a KJ or KK. Afterall, it is based on a car (crossover) chassis. The KJ has more ground clearance, available skid plates, and very good approach/departure/breakover angles for something that isn't a Wrangler, Hummer, or FJ. Even though the KJ/KK have IFS, I can speak for the KJ and say that it really is quite capable. My '06 KJ Renegade D can do everything I've done in my '96 XJ. Granted, I'm not into rock crawling or any of that balls-out offroading that the enthusiasts are in to, but some of the old logging roads on our hunting land are pretty rough, rutted, rocky, tight, steep, and slippery. I don't think I could see a caliber/compass/patriot hacking it in there.

While we all agree the Patriot will not have the same capability as the Cherokee, it is good to see it get some good press. I am looking forward to owning one. I have a TJ that I love, (and I will never part with) but I want something with better gas mileage, and some good looks for a DD. And, I want those sweet letters, J E E P, on the grill of what ever I buy. I think the Patriot will fit in well for folks who want mileage, some capability, some civility and a decent price.